Aliko Dangote, Africa’s richest man, announced a $400 million plan to revive a second production line at the Mugher cement plant in Ethiopia, aiming to double the facility’s annual capacity to 5 million tons.
The Ethiopian plant that became operational in 2015 has faced challenges, including recurrent violence in the region, which has led to the vandalism of vehicles and machinery by protesters. The country manager of Dangote Cement Plc and two other staff were shot dead in 2018.
“Despite the ups and downs, we have successfully repaid all our loans and repatriated our profit,” the Dangote Industries Ltd. chairman and chief executive officer told reporters on Saturday in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa. The expansion project is expected to be operational within the next 30 months, he said.
Dangote also announced plans to establish a new greenfield cement grinding unit with a capacity of 3 million tons per annum. In collaboration with state-owned Ethiopian Investment Holdings, Dangote Industries will invest in the Omo Kuraz sugar factory, he said.
